Frame suspension for motor-vehicles.



E. R. & W. E. SMITH 6; J. J. WBIER. FRAME SUSPENSION FOR MOTOR VEHICLES, APPLICATION FILED MAR. mfmo.

1,039,329. Patented Sept.24, 1912.

mums-SHEET 1.

Fig. 1

E. R. & W. E. SMITH & JLJ. WEIER.

FRAME SUSPENSION FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1910.

Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 E W W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, EDWARD B. SMITH, WILLIAM EIEYIITH, AND il I-IN J. WEIER, OF BIRlldIINGHAM,

' MICHIGAN.

FRAME SUSPENSION FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

I Speciflcatfon of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 24, 1912.

Application filed Mar on 14, 1910. Serial No. 549,340-

ToaZZ whom it may concern: This single point suspension of the frame at 50 .Be it known that we, Enwnnn R. SMITH, WVI LIAM E. SMITH, and Jot-IN J. Wnmn, who are citizens of the United States, resid- .ing at Birmingham, county of Oakland, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Frame Suspensions for Motor-Vehicles, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to suspension frames for automobiles, and has for its object an improved device of this type adapted to maintain the desired position of the supporting frame of the body of the vehicle, regardless of the inequalities of the road over which the Wheels are passing.

In the drawings:-Figure 1, is a plan view of theframe and running wheels of the device. Fig. 2, is a side elevation partly in section showing the relation of the power shaft to the frame-supporting means. Fig. 3, is an elevation partly in section showing the details of the suspension means.

1 indicates the frame of the vehicle, which is supported at the rear upon axle casing :2 and traction wheels 3, and at the front upon the axle casing 6. Power is transmitted to the axles in each of the axle gasings by the shaft 4 (connected with a motor not shown) and friction disks 5. At the front, the hood-supporting platform extends over the front axle casing 6 and is held in sliding engagement with the arched body or saddle 8 of the front axle casing. This engagement is effected by the arched and stepped saddle portion fitting into at complementarily recessed portion 9 of the hood-supporting plat form; the link 7, which is pivotally fastened to the saddle portion at a point centric to the curvature of the arch, is attached at its other end to the hood-supporting platform. In this construction it is seen that only the center portion '9 of the hood-supporting platform is in contact with the axle casing.

the front'combined-with thesuspension of the frame at the rear at both sides by means of springs or otherwise, is sufficient to pro vide for its balance under ordinary circumstances, when the wheels are running along an even section of road; and when either wheel is lowered because of inequalities in the level of the road that corner of the forward end of the frame being correspondingly tilted, it is maintained in nearly horizontal position by its sliding en agement upon the saddle portion of the ax e casing and is restrained from possible separation -therefrom by the link 7, thus effecting a threeoint sus )ension of the frame re ard- 5 less of the irregularities of the road.

The hub portions 10 of the wheel-supporting means are connected to the power shaft 11 by knuckle joints 12, but as neither of these features form a part of this invention, they are not here described in detail.

That we claim is In combination with the axle of a vehicle, having intermediate its ends a connection with a source of power, a casing inc-losing said axle, and provided with a central portion in the form of a hollow saddle, having an arched stepped hollow surface and in closing the devices connecting said axle to the source of power, a hood-supporting platform havingmid-way its ends a concavity complementary in curvature and stepped structure to that on the upper surface of said saddle and slidably mounted thereon,

a radius arm at one end pivotally attached to said casing at a poin centric to the arch of said saddle portion and at the other end pivoted to the hood-supporting platform, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

EDl/VARD It. SMITH. WILLIAM E. SMITH. JOI'LN J. WEIER.

l/Vitnesses .\V ILI,IA1\I M. SWAN,

ELLioT'r J. S'roonAnn. 

